Masoncountybow

Put my first plot in 15 days ago here in WV. A little late but had a tractor and 6ft rotary tiller. Field was waist high in field grass , fescue and weeds. Mowed and sprayed waited 10 days and tilled to a good 5-6 inch seedbed. I know, no soil test but didn't have time, handheld ph meter was 5.9. This a 6 acre field that I worked 2 acres. Planted 50# ww, 50# rye grain, 10# red clover,4# chicory, 4# white clover, 4 # turnip and 2# radish. Also at last minute farmer gave me 50# fresh soybeans. its been 10 days since first good rain hit. Ill post some pics as it matures. Got my fingers crossed.

Masoncountybow

We cut 3 lanes like this into the plot from 3 corners entering 2 bedding areas and a patch of woods leading to a pond. The are about 80 yards long each. Hope they use them to just travel and stage.

ojibwa

looks good, the only thing I would have done differently would be to make the travel lanes a little more narrow, maybe no more then 10'..

other then that looks good..

HatchieLuvr

Looks great! I've always used my discs, until this year. (I have a 8ft 3point disc for my sub-1acre plots down in the bottom & a 14ft IH wheel disc for my 1.5-2acre corn plots up in my pastures) This year however I scored a 5ft KingKutter2 rotary tiller & WOW what I've been missing! My plots look like something from Augusta National & the rotary tiller made MUCH easier & quicker work than the old discs.

My only recommendation on your setup is that next year I wouldn't scalp the ground/plant in your "approach lanes". I'd simply bush hog them to be about 10-15ft wide (mine are 14ft wide as I make 2 passes with my 7ft hog) & I'd leave them appx 1ft deep with natural grass/growth. Big bucks especially don't like wide open areas but WILL readily use mowed lanes to move through otherwise grown up areas in broad daylight. My place had appx 80 acres of row crops on it when I bought it. (In fact it had beans in it) I've since let that 80 acres grow up & I alternately hog it in 2-3yr intervals. I have several plots in it & quite a trail/lane & farm road system through it now. The deer, turkeys & upland game LOVE that overgrown area & use my "trail/lane system" as their own. (Entire property is 625 acres with the rest being "down the bluff" in classic southern river bottoms & cypress swamps with 10 plots of 1/4-3/4 acre in size scattered throughout the bottoms)

I'm curious as to how well the beans will come up this late? They DO lovem tho!!!

BrushyPines

You're right about that! Takes forever with a disc. I changed to a tiller 3 years ago and will never go back! Takes less time and it makes the dirt look like powder!

7mag_Jake

We use a IH 856 with a 2 row disc and a 3 point spreader to plant our plots. Bush hog with a 706 JD bush hog. Can be a little too large in size, but it was paid for 30 years ago! I'd like to see what a rotary tiller would do, but can't justify buying one with all the paid for stuff sitting around.

Masoncountybow

Even though this is my first plot , I can tell you all. The difference in a disc and a tiller is immense. We tried a 5 ft disc on that field that hadn't been touched in 20 years. It barely touched it. Rented the tiller for 125.00 for the weekend and had to go slow the first pass (@ 2 hrs for 2 acres) and got three total passes in 4 hours. Seed bed was 5 inches deep and very nice. The thatch you see in the pics is the old dead 4 inch fescue and other matter that was tilled up. Ill post pics in about another week. and Ill let you know on the beans. The farmer that owns the property say they will get a foot or so tall if frost or deer do not wipe them out.

7mag_Jake

How big of a tractor are you using? That can make a difference too. What we use to disc three times with a 35 hp Mahindra we disc once with the 100hp 856 with a bigger disc.

BrushyPines

All you need now is RAIN! Good luck with the plot, can't wait to see pics of the finished product!

Masoncountybow

We did it with a 60hp 4wd Kobota.